Changing the World Through the Generosity of Tappers…

It’s been a while since I “went to the well” to start a new campaign. I don’t like to stand around with my hand out…until we really need something. But, in this case, we do.

As so many of you are aware, the only reason I still blog and tap, is the opportunity to do the work we started in Buyijja, Uganda in 2014 when my youngest daughter did an internship there. Alissa offers monetary support for these projects, and I blog. It’s a nice quid-pro-quo agreement. But, most of the money for these projects comes from Tappers like you! And, over the course of the 4 years, TSTO TAPPERS have been the primary source of support, raising almost 70% of all of the gifts offered to this work.

Amazing…and so incredibly difficult to explain to others. “Well yes…we have an NGO in Uganda that is funded primarily through the generosity of a silly Simpsons mobile game…I KNOW…it sounds crazy...but LOOK AT THE WORK WE HAVE DONE!!”When I look back at all we have accomplished, I am completely astounded! You have changed lives. You have done more than you could ever imagine to change the lives of a small, forgotten segment of the world…and you have done it unconditionally, with no strings attached…just because you could!

With your help we have raised funds and accomplished:

Twelve Successive Terms (3 per year) of School Supplies and Books

Sanitary Bathrooms

Sanitary Drinking Water

A Rain Water Storage Tank

Solar Lighting and charging station for the classrooms

Shoes for children who have none

Playground Equipment

Tools, Seed and Support for Vocational Farming

Beds for the Teacher’s temporary shelter

Storage for books and supplies

Teaching Support and Administration

The last couple of big projects were done with the support of an International Rotary Grant. I am a relatively new member of Rotary, and am astounded at the work they do throughout the world (any other Rotarian Tappers out there???). However, for this next big project, we have hit a road block, in that they don’t fund buildings. It has to do with long-term liability and sustainability, but the bottom line is, they don’t do it, and We NEED an existing outbuilding overhauled into dorms and a vocational school. I’m hoping you will help…

Teacher and Student Dorms and Vocational Farming School
We began fundraising for this project back in 2016, and then, due to concerns with security, and changes in immediate needs brought about by drought, the project was adapted to begin vocational farming, but the building construction were put on hold and the initial funding raised diverted for another well and rain gathering/water storage tank, while starting the farming program.

Adapting and modifying is the benchmark of how the Buyijja Village school has survived through innumerable challenges. And now, we are ready to move forward for our most ambitious project to date.

The school faces three distinct challenges that can be solved with this project.

1. Temporary Boarding for Teachers and Students who come from remote villages or are forced to remain overnight due to inclement weather conditions. Due to the success of the Buyijja Village School since regular support for supplies and books began back in 2014, the number of students has grown substantially, primarily from under-served villages in the surrounding region. As these children make the trip by foot, over miles of jungle and open dirt roads, they often choose to spend the night, rather than walk in darkness in the undeveloped, unsafe roads and trails that surround the school. Temporary boarding, with clean water, sanitary bathrooms, and solar lighting would provide a safe, if temporary alternative.

2. Vocational Education in Farming, with a safe storage area for tools, seed, and processing area.

3. Sustainable Food Source that helps feed students and teachers, while educating a generation of new farmers with responsible and sustainable agriculture practices. This project will be done in three phases, the first of which (Vocational Training and Farming) has already been started. Construction and remodeling of the existing building can be done in phases, with the addition of bathrooms, a well, and rain collection/storage tanks being added in the second stage. Final stage will include Solar lighting, and furnishing the dormitory area with beds, work tables, and food preparation area.

Our hope is to do this in phases… Do the Building with the help of the TSTOTapper Community…then do the extra bathrooms and water/storage through Rotary Grants. But, we need the building first…

These projects are done through a lot of people donating a little…and EVERY DOLLAR helps. We take no administration costs, with every dollar going to the project (outside of nominal charges for GoFundMe and Currency Conversion rates).

Just sitting thinking I’m too tired to write that FGA post I had planned tonight, then I read this and I think sod tiredness there’s work to be done. Glad to see you posting about Buyijja again, I’ve missed these updates. I hope one day you’ll get to visit the school and see first hand the lives you’ve changed!!!

Just donated 👍👍 What great cause!! Such important work you are doing!! I do a lot of fundraising for NAMI (national alliance on mental illness) a wonderful grassroots, community mental health organization. My team is walking in the May 5th 5k if you would like to help sponsor us for this great cause our link is: namiwalks.org/team/stridingscholars
Keep it up! 💪

Hi Patric
Unfortunately I am struggling financially at the moment and can’t give. But you have my full support for the wonderful work you are doing. Thanks for all the beautiful human beings out there.
Have all a great day/night

Best of luck with this latest round of improvements!
Just the thought of needing a place to stay after dark, in order to be safe from being attacked by wild animals at night … In order to just learn\teach improve the lives of young children … It’s amazing what can be accomplished with so few dollars. Give a little, give a lot, give whatever you can, every little bit helps, and doesn’t go towards BS “admin fees”
~MIB🕵️

I’m excited – I’ve been watching and waiting for the next campaign, (really!) since the others had been completed! Thank you, Pat, for all the work you put into this, it lets us all make a difference in so many lives in a way we could never do by ourselves.
Lori B

It’s no secret how I feel about SIB posts buts that’s me. However I feel compelled to write a Should I Donate (SID) reply. YES! There are no cons, only pros. I have never seen a charity structured this well, the results are off the charts, and for the most part, the speed in which goals are accomplished is amazing. The reason I started donating was a simple and selfish one. It makes me feel great!!! The photos I’ve seen throughout the years have brought hope, warmth, and a sense of accomplishment that you can’t put a price tag on. If you can PLEASE do what you can!

Rotarian tapper here. Yes, Rotary is an incredible organization to be a part of. Go to an international convention if you really want to get blown away. So many people from all around the world all trying to do good.

Call it penance for playing a mindless game, with so much going on in the world! LOL! It selfishly allows me to talk to friends and family about TSTO without being embarrassed. “I know it’s a silly little game…but look at all of the good work we do because of it!”

LOL…Gosh. I was wondering when a clueless twit like you would show up. Too funny. For the record, this is the 4th project we have done on this site since I came over and rejoined Addicts, and all of the work is proudly supported by Alissa and our community. What I love about these kinds of idiotic attacks, is that they always come from an anonymous chicken…who is afraid to reveal themselves as the heartless, selfish person that they are. But, no worries. We have your IP.

“Unneeded”? When is helping others with anything these days unneeded? We (Americans) live in a wealthy, self-fixated nation…any kind of charitable act is simply proof that we aren’t all overfed narcissists. Go Patric!

Done! And you’re right, it’s kind of hard to explain to people: “There’s this guy I know..well, I don’t really know him in person, but we have a mutual interest online…yeah, it’s a game…The Simpsons…no, really! And he’s working to build a school in Uganda and I like to help out…”
Thanks for the update, and let’s get this project going!

Martha….you are one of the Best of the Best! You are truly in the “golden circle of giving” when it comes to our work in Buyijja. Without people like you, none of the work we have done would have happened…